Last year’s Festival emphasized the cooperative efforts among EU member states to integrate chess into the public school curriculum. Last year’s event also highlighted the connections between chess and other sports – with a live demonstration (the first-ever in Hungary) of the world’s fastest-growing hybrid sport: Chess-boxing.

This year the Aquaprofit-Polgar Chess Festival – which presents new surprises from year to year – is again branching into new territory. The chosen venue for 2013 – Budapest’s Palace of the Arts – speaks for itself. The sophisticated spaces of this world-class facility will introduce chess in the context of the arts, and the many connections among them.

As always, the Chess Festival will be a truly family event. The children’s activities will be organized as part of the regular and very popular “Palace of Delights” children’s program, held every weekend at the Palace of the Arts.

In addition to chess lessons, visitors can try out crafts, a playground, contests and a photo corner – all with a chess theme. Children can make crowns for the King and Queen cartoon figures featured in the “Chess Palace” textbook; color “stained glass” window decorations, also featuring the chess pieces; play beanbag chess; or take a photo of themselves in front of the Chess Palace backdrop. At each station, children who complete the activity will collect a Chess Coin, which can later be exchanged for items from the Chess Festival gift shop.

This year, too, the Festival will highlight the educational benefits of chess within the school curriculum. A conference held on site at the Palace of the Arts will host teachers from all parts of Hungary, introducing them to the Chess for Enrichment and Chess Palace programs, with textbooks and workbooks, which are part of Hungary’s national curriculum as of 2013.

The teachers will also gain insight into international experiences with school chess curricula, and about the unique potential of chess to build the educational skills of students living in a digital world.

As the high point of the Chess Festival, the Polgar sisters will again take on challengers in simultaneous chess matches, against celebrities and public figures from the world of sports, the arts, academia, business, and politics. Ordinary chess fans and children, too, will have the chance to pit themselves against the most famous sisters in the history of this mystical game.

As in previous years, the Chess Festival will host a number of international visitors – including a special surprise guest, whose identity remains a secret. What is certain, however, is that on September 29, it will be well worth your while to visit the Palace of the Arts and participate in this great celebration of chess.

Another major international recognition is due to the traditional Chess Festival. Representing the European Union, the patronage of the festival was accepted by the most prestigious Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.